FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT TYLER EIFERT - PAGE 2

On a day when former Notre Dame teammate Manti Te'o made headlines off the field, tight end Tyler Eifert made waves on it. The Irish All-American was consistently among the leaders in his position group in all of the physical testing Saturday at the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. "I think with the tight ends, the day belonged to Tyler Eifert," analyst Mike Mayock said during the NFL Network's telecast of the event on Saturday.

BETHPAGE, N.Y. -- Notre Dame junior Tyler Eifert was named Wednesday to the John Mackey Award preseason watchlist by the Nassau (N.Y.) County Sports Commission. Eifert was one of 34 players selected to the watch list for the award given annually to college football's top tight end. The Fort Wayne product paced all Irish tight ends in 2010 with 352 receiving yards on 27 receptions, including two touchdowns. Eifert appeared in 11 games, starting eight contests. He ranked third on the team in receiving yards and fourth in receptions.

Four Notre Dame players were recognized by Pro Football Weekly on its 2012 All-American team. The team is chosen by NFL Draft analyst Nolan Nawrocki and takes into account feedback from NFL evaluators on a player's impact on his team and future as an NFL player. Inside linebacker Manti Te'o and tight end Tyler Eifert were named to the first team. Stephon Tuitt and Zeke Motta were listed as honorable mention as a defensive tackle and a safety, respectively. Only two teams had more players than Notre Dame on the team: Alabama with seven and LSU with five.

Four years ago, Tyler Eifert made a trip to South Bend as a high school senior-to-be for a one-day summer camp at Notre Dame and a chance to impress then-head coach Charlie Weis. The Irish had yet to offer the tight end from Fort Wayne, having already received a verbal commitment from Jake Golic and with freshmen Kyle Rudolph and Joe Fauria rolling onto campus. With one workout in June, Eifert swayed the minds of the coaching staff and proved himself to be a talent they couldn't pass up. He earned himself an offer by July.

While Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly appears to be bucking for ESPN employee the month this bye week, his players are purposely stepping out of the spotlight. Still, a couple of them managed to find it anyway on Friday. Tight end Tyler Eifert and linebacker Manti Te'o, both juniors on the Irish football team, were named to the Phil Steele Midseason All-America first team. Eifert leads the nation in receptions per game among tight ends (5.33) and is one of only two tight ends who are ranked in the top 100 nationally among all receivers.

According to Twitter, Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert has penned 751 messages on the ultra-popular social-networking venue. Message No. 752, which technically no longer exists, may have been the one that caused the most stir. Eifert Friday night tweeted this: "Big recruiting day tomorrow here at ND. Looking forward to meeting and hangin with 5 star Fort Wayne native @JaeeSmiff9ENT. " And the big deal is? Eifert was referring to ND recruiting target Jaylon Smith, a talented junior outside linebacker/defensive end from Fort Wayne, Eifert's hometown.

The 2012 South Bend Tribune Notre Dame Football Annual is your VIP pass to the upcoming season. Among the other features you'll find in this issue: Beyond The Decision: Picking the next starting quarterback at Notre Dame is a decision that will define Brian Kelly, but it's only part of the Irish head coach's larger plan. On Course: From football to golf, Tyler Eifert has found success. The ND tight end found an even greater sense of happiness when he decided to return for his senior year.

SOUTH BEND -- Brian Kelly opened his Tuesday press conference by saying that collectively, his team did not play its best football in last Saturday's 20-17 victory over Purdue. Still ... "Any time you beat a Big Ten opponent," Kelly said, "you're pleased with the outcome. " Kelly and the Irish get another chance on Saturday when 20th-ranked ND travels to East Lansing, Mich., to face No. 10 Michigan State. Both teams are 2-0. Notre Dame was a 31-13 winner over the Spartans last year in South Bend, but the series has been dominated by close games.